


The Great Cipher

by Oilux



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Angst, BillDip, Inspired by The Great Gatsby, M/M, The Great Gatsby AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 18:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7695346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oilux/pseuds/Oilux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Great Gatsby AU. Sometimes, the past can't be captured again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Great Cipher

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dipdop_Pinetop](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dipdop_Pinetop/gifts).



> For my best friend, J! Enjoy your surprise~

Of all the things that stay the same, the seasons were never one of them. It wasn’t the only thing that stayed the same, it was just something that always changed at the same time, and even though it changed, it was a routine that stayed the same. He simply liked it for the way it changed, but didn’t change at the same time.

It was a long life, a hard one. He got a new neighbor, a woman with a bright and bubbly personality that would smile and wave as he drove past in his bright yellow car. He never really understood her. She wasn’t someone who seemed to have a care in the world besides the flowers she attempted to grow and the pet pig that shouldn’t be allowed outside.

He never really paid much attention to her though. She didn’t complain about the parties he threw, and he didn’t complain when her pig would roam and get into his garden. There were a lot of things they understood about each other without even knowing each other’s names.

Besides, he had that soft blue light that flickered in the distance, and sometimes he would see just a glimpse of something else, maybe a boat or something else, but he liked to believe it was something else, not just something but someone, staring back at him through the darkness.

He had promises to keep, and miles to walk before he slept.

* * *

 “He always throws those parties, I don’t know why.” Mabel complained into the phone, leaning against the wall. “The music’s really nice, but I’m not really sure. Why doesn’t he sleep like a normal person?”

“He probably doesn’t sleep like a normal person, that’s why.” Her brother’s voice crackled over the phone from Mabel’s shoddy phone. It needed to be replaced, but so did a lot of things in her house.

“You’re very funny today. In a better mood?” Mabel teased gently. Her brother hadn’t been doing well since the wedding, but it was expected.

“How do you like your home in west egg?” Dipper asked instead,  just as Mabel heard someone drop a plate in the background. “Damn it all. It’s a bit crazy here.”

“Well, I’ll let you go, don’t want to be taking too much time from your Valerie.” Mabel was reaching a little, but even she winced as she heard the plate smash and more voices coming from the other end of the phone.

“She’s fine, why don’t you go to ask him to stop playing music so late then?” Dipper was always one for solutions. Mabel scoffed slightly, shaking her head.

“My home’s on his property. I’m pretty sure he could just have it bulldozed it he wanted. I’ve got to go to work though, but I’ll come visit soon!” Mabel heard another plate in the background, along with her brothers sigh.

“Alright. Love you, Mabel.”

“Love you too, Dipper.”

* * *

 And visit she did. It wasn’t a week later that she found herself being ushered through the halls to her brother and his friend, a man by the name of Ben who apparently played golf. Ben was such a burly man, it seemed that he would have an easier time at a logging camp than playing a delicate sport as golf, but Mabel was told that he was apparently very good at it.

“I’m telling you, you simply must come to one of his parties. He throws the best in the whole country.” Ben was prattling on about the party as Mabel practically gorged herself on pastries. Her job wasn’t the best paying, but it put food on the table. Most of the time.

“Valerie isn’t one for parties,” Dipper ended up saying, staring out the window at the lake. “Maybe one day we’ll go.”

“Dipper, it’s a party. If she doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t have to.” Mabel reassured, getting a shrug from Dipper. “Plus the chap’s my neighbor, he seems nice enough.”

“Cipher’s a nice guy.” Ben voiced, nearly jumping when Dipper’s head snapped towards him. Mabel suddenly decided the pastries were more interesting than the hard topic about to be breached.

“Did you say Cipher?” Dipper couldn’t help but lean forward, more engaged in the conversation than ever before. “Is it?”

“I highly doubt it’s him, Dipper. Let’s just relax and enjoy lunch.” Mabel could never keep quiet for long.

“You knew?”

“Not until Ben just said something. Dipper, I doubt it’s him, he went off to war and didn’t come back.” Mabel honestly hated being the voice of reason. It just went against her nature, but sometimes Dipper needed grounding.

“…Yeah, you’re right.” Dipper settled back in his seat, Ben glancing between the two as though he had missed something terrible, but no one said anything more.

“Oh, what a terrible name he has anyways. Like something a demon would have.” Dipper’s wife, Valerie suddenly spoke, coming from another room and draping herself over her husband and the back of his chair. “Cipher. Never liked that name anyways.”

Ben glanced at Mabel, only to see her shake her head in a silent plea not to bring anything up. Dipper didn’t even return Valerie’s hug, still staring out the window. Mabel awkwardly coughed into her fit to get the attention of the couple, waving Ben to go along with what she had planned.

“Who cares about him anyways? Anyone up for a game of charades?”

* * *

 The music late at night wasn’t the only thing that happened the next day. Mabel worked at a clothing store, sewing garments together and checking for stray strings or lint. She didn’t mind the work, it was boring and tasteless, but it was one more step to becoming an actual designer of clothes, and that’s what she really wanted. It was almost six am when she heard a rapid knocking at her door, and Mabel quickly answered it just so it would stop. Still rubbing her eyes, she almost believed she was still dreaming.

With a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a sealed envelope in the other, a man stood in front of her, making Mabel feel severely underdressed in just her nightwear. He was dressed in complete fine silk and jewels, almost seeming to be from another land of fairy tales. Silently, he handed both the flowers and the envelope to her before bowing and walking away like he was never there.

Waddles wasted no time before eating half the flowers from the bouquet the moment she put it down, but Mabel didn’t pay him too much mind. That pig just ate about everything that he could get his hands on, unless Mabel told him no. She was the only one he ever listened to.

_Miss Mabel Pines_

_You are cordially invited to the party tomorrow night at my home. Hope to see you there._

_Bill Cipher_

Mabel placed the invitation to the side, sighing slightly. It would be rude not to go, even with the sinking feeling in her gut. She didn’t make the connection when she moved in, but now it was obvious. Bill Cipher had managed to wiggle his way back into her, and her brothers life.

* * *

 It took all of five minutes for Mabel to realize that she was the only one who had been invited. People didn’t get invited to Cipher’s parties, they simply arrived. Her dress was a normal flapper gown, bright pink in color with more frills than Mabel could count. She loved it, and it always got the attention of men when she passed by, and some women as well.

She actually found Ben before she managed to find the host of the party, the large man holding a surprisingly small glass of whiskey in his hand as he waved excitedly at her. Happy to see someone she knew, Mabel didn’t hesitate before going over, taking a glass of some kind of alcohol when it was handed to her.

“Have you seen Cipher? He invited me here.” Mabel managed to say over the loud band playing in the background. Ben shrugged a little, drinking his whiskey quickly.

“No one ever sees Cipher, doll. He just throws the party.” Ben laughed. “Except me. I just met him, it was the strangest thing. Last night I mentioned your name and the next thing I know I’m talking to the host. He wants to talk to you.”

Mabel’s face pinched slightly, as though she had just been forced to taste something sour for the first time. Ben seemed like a nice guy, when he wasn’t drinking, but Mabel didn’t want to deal with this problem, much less Cipher.

“What happened with you guys?” Ben asked, pulling her out of the way of a waiter who went rushing past with a bottle of vodka. Someone apparently needed that badly.

“Ancient history.” Mabel said dismissively, but groaned when Ben raised an eyebrow at her. “It’s not our business.”

“Doll.” Ben said, shaking his head. “They’ve kind of made it our business.”

She couldn’t really argue with that. Mabel sighed, shaking her head and making sure that no one was listening, even if no one could probably hear her over the music.

“You know Dipper.” Mabel made sure Ben wasn’t too drunk to listen and remember this. “Well, before he got married, we knew Bill Cipher.”

* * *

The way that Bill looked at Dipper, it was the way everyone wanted to be looked at. It was love, it was adoration, it was a look that said that nothing else mattered except the way they loved each other. Mabel had watched them from afar as they spent hours talking on the front porch, whispers of love and plans for the future that would never come true.

Bill Cipher didn’t have an easy upbringing, from what Dipper had told her. No family, no home, Bill had nothing to his name but an army uniform when he enlisted. He didn’t ask Dipper for anything but his attention, and one other thing. He asked for Dipper to wait, wait until the day he could provide and make a home for them both.

“Yes.” Dipper had agreed in a breathless whisper on a late summer night. “I’ll always wait for you.”

Bill went off to war the next morning, and Dipper didn’t hear from him again. There were no letters, no phone calls, nothing that said he was alive or anywhere near them. Dipper waited patiently for almost a year, but he never heard a word from Bill. Mabel could see it in the way her brother walked, he would never be over it.

Finally, unsatisfied with his sons moping and wanting grandchildren, their father set up a wedding with a woman named Valerie, who promised children and a loving marriage. Dipper had long since given up, and while still mourning the loss of his love, didn’t even care what happened to him anymore. Until the wedding day.

Mabel had been there, sitting off to the side watching her mother set a string of pearls around her brother’s neck. Dipper had stared at them, not saying anything and hardly seeming to breathe as he just stared. If she noticed anything was off about her son, she didn’t say anything, just complimenting how nice he looked in his wedding attire and how he would love being married.

A small knock was heard from the door, and a man appeared carrying an envelope of yellow paper and a small triangle crudely drawn on the front. Besides Dipper’s name, that was all that was there. Dipper snatched it from the man as though it held his next breath of air, eyes tearing up almost instantly at the sight of familiar handwriting. Mabel sat off to the side, just watching, and waiting.

“I can’t get married, I promised that I would wait.” Dipper clutched the letter to his chest, tears already falling now. Mabel held her mother back as the woman ranted, determined to be there for her brother for this. “I promised I’d wait.”

A screaming match, broken pearls, a torn dress, so much happened so quickly, but all that was clear was that in just a couple minutes the letter was destroyed, thrown into the fireplace with a scream from their mother and a sob from Dipper.

“No one ever has to know this happened.” Their mother had said, restringing the pearls and wiping her sons face free of the tears. “It’s terrible you destroy gifts like that, Dipper.”

The pearls had been from Valerie, but Dipper still looked at them as though they were made of gold, the most important thing in his life. It was the only thing he never protested.

“He liked pearls.”

* * *

“I don’t owe Cipher anything.” Mabel finished her drink with ease, she just took another one as soon as a waiter passed by. “He left my brother, broke his heart, and I’m supposed to help repair that?”

“Don’t you think your brother would be better with Cipher than being in an unhappy relationship?” Ben took her drink from her when she started drinking quickly, eliciting a whine from the woman. Mabel didn’t protest though, just pouting slightly.

“That’s not for me to decide.”

“But it might be for me.” A rich voice sounded, an accent that was a little different than the last time Mabel had heard it. Ben was smiling, but Mabel whipped around to see the familiar smile and the saunter of a walk that Bill still had.

“Shooting Star, it’s been a long time.” Bill spoke, not reaching out to touch her but nodding his head. “I know this is hard-”

“You don’t know what’s hard!” Mabel snapped. Why had she even come? Why had she even bothered to try?

“Mabel-”

“No! You know what’s hard? Watching Dipper check the mailbox for your letter every day. Watching Dipper start to think you were dead because he never heard from you. Watching Dipper getting married to a woman who doesn’t love him. Watching Dipper sob over the letter you decided to send right before the wedding. How could you do that? You couldn’t even come and see him? You couldn’t even try to win him back? He would have run away with you in a heartbeat if you had just asked!”

Mabel was panting hard when she was finished, Ben’s hand on her shoulder and anger still in her chest. Bill was staring at her with shock, and disappointment, as though he understood something she couldn’t, and it made her anger grow even more than before. Dipper had been able to tolerate that confidence, but Mabel found it grating.

“That’s for him to decide if he wants to see me or not, Shooting Star. Can’t you just let me have a chance?”

She almost wanted to scream. Bill hadn’t been there through the countless nights when Dipper cried himself to sleep, he hadn’t been there when Dipper almost gave up on life until he realized other people needed him. It wasn’t fair that Dipper had done so much healing, only for a guaranteed heartbreak once more.

“Cipher’s thrown all these parties just in hopes that Dipper would hear and come.” Ben said, whispering to her. “Just give him a chance.”

Mabel groaned, running a hand through her hair and messing up the nice hairdo she had made for herself. At this point, her appearance was the last thing on her mind. Mabel wasn’t there for her brother when he needed it before, but she could be now.

“Fine, you get one chance. If he doesn’t want to see you, then I never want to hear about you again.”

* * *

That night, as he watched the blinking blue light with the same longing he always watched it with, Bill felt unease and nervousness turn in his gut. This wasn’t like throwing a party and hoping Dipper would show. This was nervous anticipation, knowing that tomorrow he would see his love for the first time in years. How long had it been? Too long.

Why hadn’t he just gone over? Why did he have to be such a coward and unable to actually drive over, showing up on Dipper’s porch with nothing more than a ‘hello, I’m not dead!’ and a rose? He was so afraid of that rejection. That it had been too long.

Mabel was right, he should have actually shown up at the wedding, but he hadn’t been anywhere near them when he heard the wedding was happening. It would have been a couple days of travel, but luckily someone he knew was close.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow was a new day where he could finally have his love and everything he ever wanted. He could have the money, he could have the power, he could have Dipper, it would all be perfect. Everything he had worked for would finally pay off.

Tomorrow.

* * *

The sassy but somewhat sarcastic remarks from Mabel were both stressful and wanted at the same time. They, as in Mabel, had called Dipper to invite him for lunch so they could spend time together. Dipper needed time away, and Mabel was supportive for once in this adventure.

Bill was wearing his best suit, the small cottage completely decorated in flowers and frills. He had gone a bit overboard, but nervousness did that to a person. Mabel sarcastically commented that he should have brought even more flowers with how angry Dipper was going to be with him.

“You’re not really helping.” Bill muttered, heart leaping into his throat when he heard the car pull up over the sound of the rain.

“Then leave.” Mabel muttered, rushing to the door and opening it before Dipper could even have a chance to knock. Dipper laughed, hugging his sister tightly and letting himself inside.

Bill felt his heart break all over again at the sight of his love. Too many years. Dipper didn’t look the same. There was an older look about him, eyes that shone of past heartbreak that could only be blamed on Bill. Bill couldn’t even get words out to mention that he was there, just standing silently unseen.

“So what’s the occasion, Mabes? Just call me out of nowhere?” Dipper didn’t seem too upset, finally looking into the house, eyes nearly glancing over Bill before they snapped back with disbelief.

Silently, Mabel pulled back from her brother and went into the other room, her pet pig snorting slightly as he followed after her. Dipper didn’t move, unable to believe that his long lost love was standing in front of him with flowers and an apology already on his lips.

“Hey there, Pine Tree.” Bill whispered, barely heard over the sound of the rain hitting the roof and his own breathing. “I missed you.”

For a long moment, nothing happened as Dipper stared at him, until there was a small quiver in Dipper’s chin and the brunet was rushing at him. Bill opened his arms, not for the hug he wanted but to get the flurry of hits and punches he had been expecting. It came sure as the sun shone down on the sky, nearly knocking the air out of him, but he kept standing. Bill deserved it all.

“I…thought…you…were…dead!” Dipper accented every word with a punch, one of which was hard enough to make Bill cough. Bill wrapped his arms around Dipper, not fighting the punches but not wanting any more of them either.

“I’m sorry.” Bill almost wasn’t expecting Dipper to go limp, but he still caught Dipper easily and stopped him from hitting the floor. Bill felt wetness hit his jacket before he heard the sob come from Dipper.

“You jerk!” Dipper seemed torn between trying to keep hitting him and wrapping his arms tightly around him. Eventually he settled for the latter, hugging Bill so tightly that he thought he wouldn’t be able to breathe. “I thought you died!”

“I’m here now.” Bill murmured, pressing a kiss against Dipper’s head, just like he always did. “I won’t ever leave you again.”

Dipper’s sob only increased, burying his face against Bill’s chest and refusing to let go. His fingers dug into the fabric of Bill’s shirt, his tears stained the suit, but Bill wouldn’t have asked him to let go even if his life depended on it. Someone would have to pry them apart, and maybe not even then.

“I don’t believe you.” Dipper’s whisper was justified, but it still tore at Bill’s heart. Bill shook his head, gently rubbing Dipper’s back and trying to stop the tears.

“This time, it’s different. I love you, Dipper, and I won’t let anything take me away from you again.”

* * *

And just like that, it was as though someone had turned back time. Mabel came back into the room after a couple hours and they had sorted everything out, and shook her head at the sight of them talking on her couch, Dipper’s legs thrown over Bill’s lap and catching him up on everything that happened since he left.

He was young life again. Dipper and Bill were inseparable, spending almost every waking minute with each other and most of that time spent alone. While Valerie was calling Mabel to complain about how she thought her husband might be cheating, Dipper was at Cipher’s house, sipping at wine and listening to stories.

“You want this? You want me, you want everything I have?” Bill asked, grinning as he showed Dipper the master bedroom. “It’s all yours. Every last bit of it I’ve gotten it all for you, everything. Everything I’ve done over the last years, it’s all for you, so we could be together.” Bill laughed as he started digging through his closet, throwing down clothing of silk, a flurry of colors that Bill had all thought would look great on Dipper.

“I just want you.” Dipper whispered, moving and wrapping his arms around Bill’s waist. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, Bill. Just you. I don’t care if we live in squalor, as long as I’m living with you.”

“Then let’s announce it to the world.” Bill picked Dipper up, getting giggles from Dipper as he carried him around, even going as far as to swing Dipper around. “Show the whole world our love. That we can finally be together and pretend like we were never apart. I’m never leaving you again.”

Amused at the whimsical antics of his love, Dipper escaped Bill’s arms to go and set a record on, letting the music start to play slowly as Dipper went back to Bill. Placing his hand on Bill’s shoulder and linking one of their hands together, Dipper rested his head against Bill’s shoulder with a content sigh.

“I missed you so much.” Dipper murmured, feeling the music fill the room and the way they started to sway. “Let’s just run away together. You and me, we don’t ever have to worry about this ever again.”

“I want to show everyone you’re mine.” Bill nuzzled the brown locks that were so close to him. “I want to stay here.”

Either unwilling to budge or unwilling to discuss it further, Dipper let the subject drop, simply letting them sway to the music that they both hoped would never end.

* * *

It wasn’t long on another summer day, when the heat was finally starting to fade and the leaves turn brown that Bill stopped throwing the parties. After all, they were all thrown in the hopes of Dipper making an appearance, and now that Dipper was back, Bill didn’t see a need for them anymore. He never realized just how empty his home was at night until there wasn’t bodies packed in and music thrumming through the walls.

A letter arrived late in the afternoon for Bill, inviting him for tea at the Pines home. It wasn’t Mabel’s handwriting, but it wasn’t Dipper’s either. Figuring Dipper must have asked someone to write it for him, Bill put on one of his best suits and started out.

The leaves, which had just been so bright and magnificent, were now bright in a different way, a cascade of color that landed on his bright yellow car and slipped off without notice. Bill was always a fast driver, no care for speed limits as he got there in record time.

Once his car was taken care of, Bill started inside only to see someone he wasn’t expecting. Valerie had long black hair, and a false smile sharp enough to cut glass. Bill didn’t say anything as he took a seat across from her, just staring at her with an arched brow and expecting her to speak first.

“The legendary Bill Cipher. I almost didn’t expect you to come today.” Valerie was someone not easily trifled with. Bill shrugged, more worried about where Dipper was than the company of this woman.

“I’m a sucker for tea, what can I say.” Bill not so subtly glanced around, not seeing any tea at all. He was only just now starting to regret coming, realizing that the invitation couldn’t have come from Dipper.

“Dipper, darling! Could you bring tea for our guest?” Valerie called out, her voice sickly sweet. Bill tensed a bit, shoulders stiff. The reason that they were waiting to tell anyone was because Dipper wasn’t comfortable yet. This might not end well.

Yet there was nothing Bill could do but wait as Dipper walked in carrying a tray of tea. He nearly dropped it at the sight of Bill sitting down in his dining room, but managed to regain his composure.

“I invited Mr. Cipher to tea. Isn’t it lovely to have company?” Valerie’s voice was still as sweet as candy. “I think you two know each other?”

“From a long time ago.” Dipper rushed before Bill could even get words in edgewise. “We haven’t spoken in years.”

“Dipper…” Bill started, but didn’t push when Dipper gave him a sharp look. Sitting across from Valerie and actually speaking to her, it was easy to see why Dipper wasn’t ready. Yet this might be the only chance that Dipper had to break away.

“No, Cipher, go ahead. Finish what you were saying to my husband.” Valerie was the epitome of aloofness, sitting back in her chair with her legs crossed and acting as though they were talking of a pet.

“I love him.” Bill said easily, temper starting to get the best of him as he stood from his place. Dipper refused to look up, be it from mortification or anything else. “I love him, and you’re done taking advantage of him. Dipper, tell her how you love me and that you’re going to come with me.”

Silence. Loud, deafening silence. Dipper shook his head silently, and Bill felt his heart break a little as he realized that he might just be pushing Dipper a bit too hard for the emotional toll this was taking on him.

“I think that’s a no, Cipher. He’s still my husband, remember that.” Valerie stood, somehow managing to create the essence of royalty. “Leave him be.”

“Dipper, please. This might be the only chance we have to run away together.” Bill knelt down in front of Dipper, refusing to lose his love so quickly after he gained him.

“Why don’t we go for a drive?” Dipper suddenly asked, only the high pitch of his voice revealing how anxious he was. “I haven’t been out in so long. Let’s go for a drive.”

Everything seemed awkward, but all they ended up nodding. Dipper was upset, Valerie didn’t seem to care, and Bill just wanted to calm him down. Hesitantly placing his arm on Dipper’s elbow, Bill was relieved to feel Dipper clinging to him.

“We should have run away while we had the chance.” Bill whispered to himself softly, ignoring the way Dipper nodded slightly.

* * *

Valerie actually felt confident enough now to let Dipper ride in Bill’s car, while she drove slowly behind them. Bill wasn’t even the one driving, as soon as he had pulled out the keys to his car, Dipper had snatched the keys and refused to give them back.

“Driving will calm me down.” Dipper had reasoned. Bill bit his tongue, because if there was one thing he remembered about Dipper, it was that Dipper was a terrible driver.

It all happens so fast. Heading towards a gas station to get a snack and more fuel. The wind in their hair and Dipper’s nerves still making his hands shake. It was the scream of a woman as she ran from her abusive husband. It was the crunch of bone against the car food, her scream and Dipper’s scream echoing in the air. It was Bill grabbing the wheel and yanking hard to make sure they didn’t spin out of control.

It was less than a second. It was the longest moment of their lives.

It was Dipper’s sobs as Bill moved to put his foot on the gas and made them drive away from the woman who died on impact. Bill ignored his own panic, knowing that his car was identifiable but that his money was enough to pay off whatever trouble may come. He made a promise to Dipper that he would never leave again.

Whether it was just because he was there, or because there was no one else to cling to, Dipper wrapped his arms around Bill tightly, refusing to let go even when they got up to the house and Bill shut the car off. He had no idea what to do next.

“I’ll take care of all of this, angel, don’t you worry.” Bill whispered, kissing Dipper’s hair and listening to the sobs echo through the night.

* * *

Dipper was eventually okay with going inside, as long as Bill promised to stay close. Which he did. Bill wiped the blood off his car with a rag he found in the trunk, cleaning until there wasn’t a spot left, and Dipper never had to see the marks again. He eventually moved to sit in plain sight of Dipper’s window, so that Dipper could glance out at any moment and see he was still there.

“Bill?” It was nearly midnight when Bill heard Mabel’s voice, and he turned to see her walking up the drive. Bill offered a weak smile and a wave, not moving as she got closer.

“Tell him I’m sorry.” Bill whispered, watching as Mabel took a seat next to him. “It wasn’t his fault.”

She glanced at the dented hood of his car, before she glanced at the window and then finally looked back at him. Bill didn’t say anything else, hands folded in his lap as Mabel pieced together the puzzle.

“He was driving, wasn’t he?” Mabel asked in a horrified whisper, shaking her head. “Why are you taking the fall?”

“I have to protect him. No one in this town will arrest me, but they’ll take him in a heartbeat.” Bill still didn’t glance at her. “Tell him I’m sorry.”

Mabel stepped away from him, disgusted either with her brother or with him, but walked into the house nevertheless. Bill stars at her as she went, staring up at the window where the lights had long since gone out.

* * *

Three days after they had buried the woman after a tragic car accident, when the police still said they had no leads and no one was helping a grieving man move on, a woman stepped into his gas station with a wad of cash and a fake smile plastered on her lips. She put a gallon of gas in her car and let it slip that the only person who drove a bright yellow car was a man named Cipher. A man who was powerful enough to make sure the cops never had him in their clutches.

She left the gas station with a lighter purse and one more gallon in her tank, but the satisfying sound of a grieving abuser grabbing his shotgun.

* * *

For all the parties he threw, Bill never once took a swim in his own pool. He hadn’t heard from Dipper in days, Mabel refused to look at him, and he still had no regrets, except for the one where he let Dipper drive.

Stripping off his clothes and ignoring the leaves that littered the pool, Bill done into the pool despite the chill that immediately sank into his body. Why was it so hard for him to swim to the surface? Bill never had a problem before. He had always been a strong swimmer.

Bill couldn’t move, staring up at the surface of the water which seemed to shimmer and reflect the light in a way that he never saw before. With the last breath of air that escaped his lungs, Bill saw blood floating in the water before him.

* * *

It was deemed in his will, that Dipper Pines would get everything, if he so wished. Upon hearing about his death in the news, no one was able to contact Dipper beyond Mabel, and from what she told people, he asked for nothing more than one of his shirts and the ring they found in his pocket.

With Dipper unwilling to take anything else, it went to Mabel as long as she planned his funeral. For all of the parties he threw and the people he knew, no one showed up to his funeral besides the reporters who declared it was the end of an era. The end of the Great Cipher.


End file.
